Lunch box



June 23, 1931. 1.. SCHERZ ET AL LUNCH BOX Filed April 2, 1929Sheets-Sheet l June 23, 1931.

L. SCHERZ ET AL 1,811,439"

LUNCH BOX Filed April 2, 1929 2 sheat s-Sheet 2 Patented June 23, 1931PATENT OFFICE LOUIS SCHERZ AND EMIL SOHERZ, OF WILKES-BARRE,PENNSYLVANIA LUNCH BOX Application filed April 2,

This invention relates to special receptacles and more particularly to alunchbox. One. object of the invention is to provide a lunch box havinga large capacity for food and also adapted to hold a thermos bottlecontaining coflfee or another liquid and a cup or equivalent containerinto which the liquidgis to be poured.

, Another object of the invention is to so form the body portion of thelunch box that a tray may be removably supported in its upper portionand retained out of contact with acup secured in the box beneath thetray. 1

Another object of the inventionv is to so form the cup-securing meansthat when released its arms or jaws will move into position close to theinner faces of side walls of the box where they willbe out of the way.

Another object of the invention is to allow a thermos bottle or similarliquid container to be easily fitted into the cover of the box andfirmly but releasably secured therein and prevented from dropping out ofthe cover when the coveris closed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a perspective view of the improved lunch box when closedFig. 2 is a perspective view showing the lunch box open, one end wall ofthe cover being partially broken away.

i Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the tray,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View taken longitudinally through thelunch box with the cover closed and the tray in place, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on theline 55 of Fig. 4.

The body portion 1 of the improved lunch box is formed from a singleblank of: rustproof metal, such as aluminum, and has a flat bottom 2from which extend upstanding side and end walls 3 and 4;. Against theouter surface of one end wall is secured a card holder 5 in which a cardbearing the owners name. may be placed. The box or body 1 is relativelydeep and in spaced relation to their upper ends the walls are crimpedinwardly to form a ledge 6 adapted to support a tray 7 The tray 1s alsoformed 1929. Serial No. 351,978.

from a single blank of rust-proof metal and is of such length and widththat it fits snugly into the box and of such depth that when in placethe upper edges of its side and end walls terminate flush with the upperedges of the walls of the box. The upper edges of the walls are rolledinwardly about a wire, as shown at 7 so that the box may be engaged withthe fingers and easily removed. This tray is to be packed withsandwiches, whereas large articles of food, such as fruit or a slice ofcake, may be placed in the lower portion of the box beneath the tray.The lower portion of the box is also intended to receive a cup or glass8, and in order to allow this cup to be securely but releasably held atone end of the box, there has been provided cup-securing means adaptedto engage about a cup, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The cup-securing means consists of companion jaws or arms 9 and 10formed from strips of resilient material and having their ends bent toform attaching feet 11 which are secured in fiat contactingengagementwith the inner surface of an end wall by rivets or equivalentfasteners 12. The jaw 9 has its free end bent to form a tooth or bill 13adapted to be engaged in a selected one of the slots or openings 14formed in the free end portion of the jaw 10, and in order to allow thejaws to be easily drawn toward each other about a cup placed in the box,the jaw 9 has been cut to provide a tongue 15 bent outwardly to form afinger hold and the jaw 10 has its free end bent outwardly to form anear or finger hold 16. By this arrangement the finger holds or ears 15and 16 may be grasped and the jaws drawn toward each other about a cupuntil they are in tight binding engagement with the cup and the bill 13then engaged in the nearest opening 14.- in order to retain the jaws ina set position. When so secured, there will be no danger of the jawsslipping out of engagement with each other as their resiliency causesthem to have a tendency to return to the position indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 2 and the glass or cup will be firmly held in place andprevented from moving in the box Fiqarticles of food placed in the boxto be very easily removed. 7

In order to close the top. or upper end of the box, there has beenprovided a cover 17 which is also formed from a single blank ofrust-proof metal and is connected with One 1 side wall of the box byhinges 18. .The cover is of a dome shape formation in transverse crosssection, as shown in Fig. 5, and of such height that a thermos bottlemay be placed in the cover andsuspended' therein above the tray whenthencover is closed. 1 A securing bandlf) for the thermos bottle issecured within the cover transversely thereof by rivets or equivalentfasteners 20 and has its end portions formed similar to the jawsr9 and10. One end portion of the band is formed with a number of slotsoropenings 21 and terminates in a lip or ear 22correspondingto the ear 16of the jaw 10 andthe other v 'end portion of the band is formed with alatch 23 corresponding to the latch 13 and i also has a tongue strucktherefrom and. bent outwardly to form an ear 24: corresponding to theear or. tongue 15. Bythis arrange 'ment a thermos bottle maybe placed inthe cover while the cover is in its opened posit1on shown 111 Fig. 2 andthe end portions of the. bottle-securing hand drawn about the e bottleand united thereby firmly securing the bottle in the cover where it willbe suspended, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, when the coveris closed. Thewallsof the cover are flared, as shown at 25, in order to allow thecover to fit snugly about-the body portion of the. box and also-form anabutment shoulder forengagement by the upper edges of the walls of thebox to limit downward movement of the cover when closed, and in order toreleasably secure the cover closed, there has been provided'latches 26formed similar tov those'applied totrunks and the like. and

adapted to engage pins 27 projecting from the: front ofthe cover.Ventilating opens ings28 have beenshown formed in the front extendslongitudinally of the cover and has the lower portion of the box and thecup and thermos bottle prevented from moving after being set in placeand secured.-

Having thus described the invention, we claim: i

l. A lunch box comprising a body open at its top and having a bottom andupstanding walls, means in the body to removably secure a container,said means consisting of resilient jaws extending horizontallyin saidbody and adapted tobe drawn towards each other about a container, onejaw having openings in its free end portion spaced longitudinally of thejaw and the other jaw having a bill at its free end engageable in aselected openingof the: first jaw, linger holds projecting from saidjaws to facilitate movement of the jawstowards each other, and a coverfor said body.

2. A lunch box comprising a, body open at its top and having a bottomand upstanding walls, means the body to removably secure a liquidreceptacle,a cover for said body extending upwardly therefrom when in aclosed position, means to removably seoure a liquid container insaidgcover and suspend the container above said; body when the cover isclosed, one of said securing means consisting of resilient jaws adaptedto' be, drawn towards eachother about the article to belsecured, one jawhaving openings in its free end portion spaced longitudinally of the jawand the other jaw having a bill engageable' in a selected opening ofthefirst jaw, and finger-holds projecting from said jaws to facilitatemovement of the jaws to-; wards each other.

in testimony-whereof we aifixour signa-' wallof the boxer body and itwill be understoodthat similar openings may be formed 'in'other' wallsofthe box and also in the itsv ends secured thereto by clips 30 andrings 31 are secured against the end walls of the cover for engagementby a shoulderstrap.

I I have',therefo're, provided a lunch box in which a largequant-ity'offood may be car- 7 ried', together with a drinking cup. and thermosbottle and have further provided a lunch-boxv in which sandwichesplaccdin the tray may be kept separate from fruit land other larger articlesof food placed in

